“But I also think I need to do something else, something I haven’t been able to do in years.”
“Name it,” I said.
“I need to go see John’s grave. But I’m not sure I can go by myself.”
I skyrocketed out of my seat and threw my arms around him. His face buried into the crook of my neck, muffling his sniffles while we sat in the corner of my silent gallery. My stomach had stopped making noises, and my lunch had faded into the background. My nerves from my encounter with Max had abated, and the worries I had about continuing to showcase his art were completely gone.
That moment, all that mattered was Bryan’s bravery and strength being recognized as he tried to do the one thing I never thought he would bring himself to do.
“I’ll go with you whenever and wherever,” I said.
“Could we go now?” he asked. “Do you have the time?”
“I always have the time for you.”
I placed all my food back underneath the counter before I grabbed my things. I started turning off the lights and locking up, assuming this would take up the rest of my day. I left a small note of apology on my gallery door, boasting of a small sale tomorrow to make up for closing down early. I felt Bryan’s arm snake around my waist while he walked me to my car, and my eyes lifted to take in the diner across the road.
Max was standing there, watching my every move.
I stood at my car while Bryan continued to talk to me, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. All I saw was Max’s piercing stare while he folded his arms across his chest. His body seemed taller than normal, and the shadows on his face played sharply across his features. His eyes stayed locked with mine while Bryan opened my car door for me, and it wasn’t until I dipped down into my car that Max moved to get into his.
That was it. I needed to let him know that I was no longer showcasing his artwork in my gallery.
“Do you want to follow me?” Bryan asked.
“Hmm?”
“I said, do you just want to follow me?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. I’ll follow you,” I said
“You okay?” he asked. “Getting another headache?”
“Actually, no. I haven’t had one of those in a while.”
“Good,” he said, grinning. “Because that head’s too pretty to hurt.”
I giggled at his lame attempt at
a compliment before he dipped down and kissed my forehead. I cranked up my car and waited for him, following his truck out of the parking lot before we made our way out of town. I looked into my rearview mirror to see if I could spot Max and see if he was pulling out of the diner since we’d finally made our way out onto the street.
But the diner was already around the corner by the time I checked. I had no idea if he was still sitting there.
Chapter 19
Hailey
I pulled up behind Bryan as he stopped in the parking lot of a cemetery. Goosebumps rose along the top of my skin as I drew in a breath through my nose. Never in my life did I think I would be here, walking toward the grave of the man who had saved my life. I felt my entire body beginning to shake as Bryan appeared at my door, and he opened it just as I unhooked my seatbelt.
I placed my trembling hand into his, and he shot me a worried look.
“Sorry,” I said breathlessly. “Just a bit ...”
“I know,” he said as he helped me stand. “I know.”
With our hands linked, he led me down a small concrete walkway. We passed headstone after headstone, with some of them too small for me to even fathom. Some gravestones were massive and new, and some were rotting away and crumbling. I thought about all the tears that had been shed in a place like this, all the tears that watered the grass growing on this solid ground. I squeezed Bryan’s hand tightly while we continued to wind and wind, and it wasn’t until we had gotten almost to the edge of the woods bordering the cemetery that we stopped at a grave.
I looked down and saw John’s name on the headstone in front of us.